Flexibility as a key competence for sustainable development in Italian small and Medium-sized enterprises

Introduction This paper examines flexibility competence, conceptualized within the LifeComp European competence framework, as a transformative competence supporting education for sustainable development and transition processes in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the Veneto region of Italy. In a labor market characterized by rapid technological innovations and global crises affecting all professional sectors, defining key competences for future jobs in line with sustainable development has become increasingly urgent. The socio-ecological system theory considers workplaces as evolving ecosystems where organizational and educational practices foster transformative learning and integral well-being across individual, organizational, community, and broader system levels. The study explores the relationship between workers' flexibility competence and the transition toward sustainable development, with the aim of identifying possible educational and organizational practices to promote the generation of alternative future scenarios. Methods Using a parallel mixed-methods multiple case study design across five case studies, this research integrates quantitative survey data and qualitative interviews. Results Flexibility emerges as a transformative rather than merely adaptive competence, enabling shifts in habits of mind and mitigating the risks of superficial compliance or greenwashing practices. Discussion The study contributes to the literature on flexibility competence, indicating its central role in sustainable development transition, despite the lack of formal codification within existing sustainability competence frameworks. It further positions SMEs as educational environments for lifelong learning and strategic actors in local transitions, outlining policy and practice implications that prioritize agency and capability development, reflective and experiential learning (e.g., problem-based and research-based learning), evaluation and monitoring with workers' involvement, and mentoring strategies that foster intergenerational learning.